Kelly was an upgrade over Trump's first chief of staff, Reince Priebus, in that he's a much more seasoned manager and that his views are much more aligned with those of the President.

She said Sunday she believed Kelly "became fully aware when the rest of us did" regarding the Porter allegations, referring to when the articles detailing the allegations were published.

According to a White House official, Sorensen's job with the Council on Environmental Quality did not require a security clearance, but his background check was ongoing.

His response also reflected his growing discontent with Kelly, once hailed for bringing discipline to the West Wing but recently at the center of his own controversies.

A group of twelve Democratic senators sent a letter Friday to chief of staff John Kelly and White House counsel Don McGahn asking when they first knew of the domestic abuse allegations against Porter by his ex-wives. And we hope he has a wonderful career, and hopefully he will have a great career ahead of him. By early fall of 2017, it was widely known among Trump's top aides - including chief of staff John Kelly - that Porter was facing troubles in obtaining his security clearance and that his ex-wives claimed he had abused them. He added, "It should be able to focus on continuing President Trump's historic accomplishments for the American People".

One confidante - longtime friend and former executive chairman of his inaugural committee, Tom Barrack - was approached to gauge his interest in the chief of staff position, a source familiar with the matter told ABC News. The President did not express any sympathy for the women Porter allegedly abused, instead focusing on Porter's claim of innocence. "But it was very sad when we heard about it". He said very strongly yesterday that he's innocent. Kelly, meanwhile, has signaled a willingness to resign over the scandal.

Willoughby said she filed a protective order less than two months after that incident "because he punched in the glass on our front door while I was locked inside". That clashes with the events of Tuesday night, when the White House released a statement of support for Porter from Kelly, who had initially urged his right-hand-man to remain in his post.